ADVANCING TREES

I took this shot of the Roaring Fork Nature Motor Trail in Tennessee the last week in October. I used a slow shutter speed with a mid-range zoom handheld for the effect.

SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK

This gater was swimming in the waters on the outer edge of the Anahuac Wildlife Refuge when I snapped this shot.  I entered it in the last BAPC Honors Night program and was awarded a "Gold" award.

BEE IS FOR "BOKEH"

This was one of the two shots I did end up using for the assignment of "Bokeh" on Thursday night.  I liked this one for the assignment as soon as I took it and it worked out to be a "gold" shot.

HIGH POV DEER

I took this shot of a deer relaxing on the grounds of Rock City in Chattanooga, Tennessee back in early June. I used Olympus' native software to apply a “diorama" effect that helps exaggerate the high POV the shot was taken from.

CADES COVE FORREST #2

Here's another shot of the green forest as seen from Cades Cove Loop Road in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Tennessee.

CADES COVE FORREST

This shot was taken in woods off Cades Cove Loop Road in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in the first week of June this year.  I liked the lighting through the trees and the slightly surreal look of the scene, which I added to in post processing.

JUST THE OSPREY

Another shot from the same series as my last post.  Taken at the Baytown Nature Center off Bayway Drive in Baytown.

OSPREY, FISH, AND MOCKINGBIRD

This shot was taken last weekend at the Baytown Nature Center.   I was photographing this Osprey enjoying a fresh catfish when a Mockingbird came along and chased him and his meal off. 

DISCOVERY GREEN BUTTERFLY

This butterfly shot was taken at Discovery Green Park in downtown Houston a couple of weekends ago.

Evergreen Rd. Hawk

I was headed over to check out the Baytown Bald Eagles the other day when I spotted this hawk off Evergreen Rd.

Wallisville Bird Rookery_3

Another shot from the Wallisville Bird Rookery.

Wallisville Bird Rookery_2

Another shot from the Wallisville Bird Rookery on I-10 near Anahuac, TX.

Wallisville Bird Rookery

This HDR is from the Wallisville Bird Rookery just east of the Trinity River bridge on I-10 east of Baytown, TX on a Baytown Photo Club field trip last Saturday morning.

Baytown Eagle are Back

After an extensive absence the Baytown Bald Eagles are back at their nest on Tri-Cities Beach Rd across from the Evergreen Golf Course.

Shooting Hummingbirds

Yesterday evening was my first real attempt to photograph hummingbirds and I now have a new appreciation for the task. You probably noticed that both of the shots were taken while the birds were at rest. No small wonder here. Turns out shooting hummingbirds in flight with at 500MM lens handheld is a little challenging, especially when that lens weighs in a 4 1/2 pounds! I will be working on a shooting strategy this week to try and get closer with a lighter and brighter lens.

Cade's Cove Bears

My wife and I spotted this momma bear and three cubs on our last trip through Cade's Cove in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park a couple of weeks ago. These bears were on the back side of meadow between two and three hundred yards away. We pulled off the road and watched the group for about 45 minutes before they wandered back into the woods. A nearby park ranger said these three cubs were born somewhere around the middle of February.

I shot these images with my Oly E-3 [2:1 crop factor] and Sigma 50-500 telephoto on a monopod.

And yes, the cub in the upper left portion of the three-shot is setting on it's haunches batting the flowers from paw to paw. [awe-factor of 10+!]

Songbird Supper

A BlueJay helping itself to a peanut at our backyard buffet last weekend.

Backyard Bluejay

I've been stuck at the house today while my house gets a new roof. Since I have to take my shots where I can them today's post is from the backyard...

Baytown Eagle_3

I swung by the Bald Eagles nest in Baytown Friday evening and took a few more shots. As my wife and I arrived I saw so many large lens equipped photographers grouped together that it reminded me of the view over the bow of the Battleship Texas! It's nice to see that after at least three years interest in these majestic birds is still holding strong.

Baytown Eagle_2

Another shot of one of the Baytown Eagles taken last Friday evening.